The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-11-18
A VISIT TO THE COUNTY JAIL

% Golden Medical Discovery and 500
v pure, fresh blood courses through You
\ veins, and you are another being.
n A VISIT TO THE COUNTY JAIL
Q After wading through two blocks o
d mud on Walnut street q reporter founC
: himself at the door of the Jail yesterda,
: afternoon. Mr.. VIII ]. Glynn, ths
. handsome and obliging official who goei
: by the title Of deputy sheriff, jailor
D turnkey or any other title that he may
be addressed by, was at the entrance
and showed the scribe through Blue
t Earth county's bastile. Mr.. Glynn was
recently appointed to his present posi-
: ton from Lake Crystal and together
with the jolly, fat sheriff, holds iron
sway over the county's luckless evil
doors. The sheriff, Mr.. c. H. Piper,
!. was not in, but his presence was not re-
CURED to show the scrupulous neatness
with which everything is kept and the
air Of cleanliness that everywhere per-
vades the building The Jail proper was
in apple pie order as were also the pri-
vate apartments of the sheriff, and the
table set the prisoners is as good as that
which deck his own board.
Nevertheless it is cold, bleak build
ing and the wintry blasts will soon blow
through the cracks and crannies the
same as they have for years past. The
little, dingy, smoky court room on the
second floor presents a deserted appear
ance but in about month Judge and at
torney, juryman and spectator win ill it
to overlooking.
The Jail contains nine cells and is
capable of holding eighteen prisoners.
Nineteen is the largest number ever
held at one time, while there are at
present but six occupants. Many of
the cells are decoratedwith pictures and
each contains two hunks which are very
tidily kept.
Visitors are quite numerous, especial
ly on Sundays. Strange as it may seem,
a large proportion of the visitors are
young girls. Though the prisoners have
been expectingi it, no philanthropic dis
posed person has put in an appearance
to attempt to guide their straying foot
steps into the paths of righteousness.
No attempts have been made by the
present prisoners to escape and they
have given but little trouble. 1t is stat
ed that never before we're there at one
time so well behaved set of prisoners
in the Jail.
Chris. Miller is awaiting the action Of
the grand jury on the charge of horse
stealing. He is considered to be some
what of, mentally. He is an old soldier
and draws pension of $22 per month.
John Enos is awaiting the action of
the grand jury on the charge of stealing
watch. He has acted very gentleman
ly since his Incarceration and has won
the good opinion of the Jail officials. He
is always willing to be of service to
them.
Geo. Arnold has about week left to |
serve on thirty days sentence on bread
and water for chasing his wife around
with a butcher knife. He has an evil
eye and his wife is said to be taking
steps to secure divorce from him.
o. Murphy is awaiting the action OF
the grand jury on the charge of stealing
beer, though it is rumored that graver
charges will be preferred when the time
comes. He has drunk of Lethe's stream
and is as happy as king and says that
he would rather be there than free.
With the aid of his hagolette he makes
it interesting for both prisoners and
visitors.
By far the most interesting character
in the Jail is Hester Ann Simmonds who
is charged with bigamy. She is the sole
occupant of the upper corridor. Her
beauty does not rival that of Helen, a
Portia or Mrs. Langtry, nor has it the
dangerous power of that of "She." The
Dardan shepherd would hardly have
made her his choice, for prison walls
never hid the suns golden rays from a
countenance more utterly devoid of the
smallest semblance to comeliness. But
Hester Ann is an heiress, or at least she
claims that she is. She says that her
grandfather, wealthy banker of Oswe-
go, N. Y, left 81 ,5OO,0OO to six heirs, of
which her mother was one. The latter
had never got but $12 of her share,
when she shuffied off this mortal coil;
SO Hester sees her way clear to earthly
mansions, if not TO mansions in the skys
and is looking around for lawyer to
prosecute her claim.
Asher A. Morgan completes the list of
prisoners and is held on the charge of
bigamy. He is the man who had the
unequalled boldness to marry his moth
er-in-law and set the world agog there
by. Since the times when David killed
Goliath, Theseus single-handed slew the
dreaded Minataur, and st. George over
came the dragon no such heroic deed
has ever been accomplished. In all
Dams sphere no more touching scene
has ever been witnessed than this man
breathing words as sweet as nectar into
the ears of his mother-ln-laW between
the iron bars of his corridor. The son
of Saturn, LOOKING down from Olympus,
never saw such true love as Joins these
two souls-love as deep and strong as
the fiery tide of the Phlegethon. But
neither has drunk of the Pierlan spring
and dungeon cells at Saltwater are
probably yawning for them.
-. Al